


As Time Goes

by dansleftboob



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alcohol, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, unwanted physical contact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 15:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5338757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dansleftboob/pseuds/dansleftboob
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re not.” Dan argued, reaching over and clasping Phil’s hands in his own. “You’re upset, and I know you don’t like to talk about things, but every time I’ve been upset you’ve helped me feel better.” Dan said, pulling Phil into a sitting position, and smiling softly at him. “So now, I’m going to help you feel better.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Time Goes

“Can Dan come out to play?” Phil, aged 10, asked Dan’s mother, Marianne.

“He’s just finishing his dinner, he’ll come get you when he’s done.” Marianne said, waving Phil off.

“Okay, can you tell him I’ll be in the treehouse, please?” Phil asked, rocking back on his heels and then forward again, swinging his arms as he did.

“Alright.” She agreed, closing the door, leaving Phil to bounce down the Howell’s porch steps until he got to the curb of the pavement while he stopped, looked both ways, and then scampered across the road, and into his own garden, hauling himself up into the treehouse that had been built by his mum, Phil himself, and Dan.

A few minutes went by before Dan poked his head up through the small square hole in the floor that they effectively named the “door”.

“Hi, Phil.” Dan smiled brightly at his friend.

“Dan!” Phil exclaimed excitedly, patting the slightly damp-feeling wood next to him.

Dan moved so he was sat cross-legged in front of Phil. “I can’t stay too long, mum said. I have to get a bath.”

“Oh, okay.” Phil frowned slightly before perking right back up. “Are you excited to go back to school tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Dan shrugged.

“Do you think we’ll get Mr. Thompson again?” Phil asked, causing Dan to crinkle his nose.

“I hope not.” Dan said. “I don’t like him.”

Phil gave a hum of agreement. “Me neither.”

***  
“How was detention?” Phil, aged 11, asked as he swung from the monkey bars at the local playground.

Dan, who was sat on one side of the climbing frame with his back against the metal, gave a shrug, and replied. “It was alright, I guess.”

“I don’t think it’s fair that he gave you a detention, you weren’t doing anything.” Phil defended.

Dan shrugged again. “I wasn’t listening.”

Phil clicked his tongue. “Still. Neither was Andrew, he didn’t get in trouble, and he was being so loud, you weren’t talking at all.” Dan sighed, and Phil could see his shoulder’s slump a little more. 

“Aren’t you going to come play?” Phil asked, frowning when Dan shook his head no. He jumped down from the monkey bars and sat down next to Dan on the ground. “You know, it’s almost summer and then we’ll be going to secondary school where Mr. Thompson definitely won’t be, we’ll finally be rid of him, so cheer up, Dan, it’s not all bad.”

Dan’s frown deepened, and he shook his head again. “It’s not him, Phil.”

“Oh.” Phil said, subconsciously leaning further towards Dan, “What’s wrong then?”

“Mum’s pregnant.” Dan mumbled into his knees as he drew them up to his chest.

“How’s that a bad thing?” Phil asked. “You get a new baby brother or sister to play with.”

Dan lifted his head from his knees and shook it once more, tears forming in his eyes. “But, dad said that babies are really time consuming, and that they wouldn’t have much time for me a-anymore.”

“Oh, well I’m sure your dad just meant that even though they’ll be busy with the baby, they still love you, didn’t your dad say that as well?” Phil reasoned.

“Yeah, he did.” Dan sniffed, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his school shirt.

“See.” Phil smiled, patting Dan’s knee. “And even if your parent’s don’t have time for you, I always will, so you don’t have to worry.”

Dan smiled softly through his tears, looking up at his friend. “Thanks, Phil.”

“No problem.” Phil smiled back, then stood up and raced to the swingset, shouting, “Last one there’s a rotten egg.”

***  
“Truth.” Phil, aged 14, said, narrowing his eyes at his friend, Louise, wearing a look that said, ‘give me your worst’.

“Who do you like?” Louise asked, and Phil’s eyes widened.

Phil groaned, preparing for his usual answer of ‘no one’ with the added glance in Dan’s direction, until he realises that Dan isn’t around to hear him, so instead, he decides to get it off his chest. “I like Dan.” He admits, his chest suddenly very heavy.

“I knew it!” Louise squeals excitedly, though Phil finds himself unable to mirror his elation, apparently admitting his feelings for Dan aloud took a larger toll on him than admitting them in his own head. “You should ask him out.”

“I can’t ask him out.” Phil shakes his head, nervous now. “He’s my best friend, he’d never actually like me that way.”

“Well, how will you know if you don’t ask?” Louise reasoned, though evidently it didn’t work as Phil just shook his head.

“I just know.” He said. “I know Dan, and I know he wouldn’t like me.”

Louise just sighed and said, “Dare.”  
***  
Phil, aged 17, scanned the crowded room full of half-drunk teenagers for Dan. He eventually gave up and went outside, finding Dan out there, though he wasn’t alone. Dan was pressed against the wall by a guy Phil only half recognized, lips sliding over one another’s. Phil feels his heart shrivel, and he gave a quiet gasp at the pain in his chest before he coughed to try and get it to go away. The lip-locked pair suddenly jumping away from each other, a glare being sent Phil’s way by the guy.

“Sorry,” Phil said weakly, “I was just getting some fresh air.”

“Yeah,” Dan chuckled lightly, “It’s pretty stuffy in there.”

“Yeah, well, you can go back in now.” The guy said, and Phil wanted to snap at him, but he refrained, and kept his attention on Dan.

“Actually, I was going to head home.” Phil said, trying to swallow the lump forming in his throat as the guy’s hands curl back around Dan’s waist, and he starts to plant pepper kisses to Dan’s neck.

“Oh, how come?” Dan asked, trying to push him away from his neck, but he evidently only took it as a ‘keep going’,

“I’m just-” Phil tried to blink away the tears that were forming in his eyes, but to no avail, as he started fully crying when the guy pulled on Dan’s cheek, so that Phil no longer had his attention, he gave a sob which he passed off as a shaky breath as the guy slammed his lips back onto Dan’s. “Nevermind.” Phil said, knowing that Dan wouldn’t be listening anyways, and then stalked his way home, staring at his feet the majority of the time.

When he got to his front gate he paused for a minute, and looked up at the, now unused, treehouse, thinking back to when they had built it.

_“Ow!” Dan said as he dropped the piece of wood he had been holding._

_“What’s wrong, Dan?” Phil’s mum asked, laying down the hammer she had been using._

_“I hurt my finger.” Dan complained, showing it to her, Phil bouncing over, and looking at it as well._

_“It’s just a little splinter,” Phil’s mum said, “I’ll just pull it out, and then you and Phil can go inside to get a plaster, okay?”_

_“Okay.” Dan sniffed slightly, trying not to cry. Phil’s mum gently took out the splinter, and then sent the two off into the house where Phil climbed up onto one of the kitchen counters and rummaged through the cabinet until he pulled out a box of plasters, proudly showing them to Dan._

_“I found them!” He exclaimed, fiddling with the box until he pulled one out. “Give me your finger.”_

_Dan held out his finger to Phil, who carefully wrapped it in the plaster, his tongue poking at the corner of his mouth in concentration._

_“There.” Phil smiled. “All better.”_

_“Thanks, Phil.” Dan smiled back._

When Phil snaps back to reality, he’s laid on his back in the old treehouse, staring up at the ceiling, his legs dangling out of the door. He feels tears fall down the sides of his head, and brings a hand up to wipe them before more fall.

Another 30 minutes passed before Phil felt something tugging at his shoelace, and then slipped it right off his foot. He quickly jumps into a sitting position and draws his legs in. Another couple seconds and Dan’s smiling face was sat on the opposite side of the door.

“Hey.” Dan greeted, climbing it, setting Phil’s shoe down next to him.

“How’d you know I was up here?“ Phil asked, putting his legs back where they had been dangling from the tree, skipping the greeting entirely.

"Well, I didn’t at first, but it’s not exactly every day you see legs dangling from a tree.” Dan laughed slightly, though Phil only frowned, and looked away from Dan’s eyes.  
“Is something wrong?” Dan asked, though he already knew. He knew from the minute Phil left the party that something was wrong.

“No.” Phil muttered.

“Yes there is.” Dan said softly, kicking the tip of Phil’s untied shoe softly with his own in attempt to get Phil to look at him. “But you don’t have to tell me. I’ve worked it out.”  
“Have you?” Phil scoffed, knowing Dan would still be completely oblivious.

“Yep.” Dan smiled proudly. “You like Andrew.”

“Who?” Phil asked, finally meeting Dan’s gaze.

“The guy who kissed me.” Dan said in an obvious tone, “You got upset when you saw us kissing, but you shouldn’t worry, I don’t really like him. I didn’t even want to kiss him in the first place.”

Phil just stared blankly at Dan, a frown etched onto his face, his eyes brimming with tears once more.

“Why are you staring at me?” Dan asked after a few seconds of Phil frowning at him.

Phil shook his head and flopped onto his back. “Nothing. I don’t like Andrew. I didn’t even know he existed until earlier.”

“Oh.” Dan’s nose crinkled in confusion. “Well, what is wrong then?”

Phil shrugged. “I just don’t feel good. I’m fine.”

“You’re not.” Dan argued, reaching over and clasping Phil’s hands in his own. “You’re upset, and I know you don’t like to talk about things, but every time I’ve been upset, you’ve helped me feel better.” Dan said, pulling Phil into a sitting position, and smiling softly at him. “So now, I’m going to help you feel better.”

Phil looked down at their intertwined hands and sighed, “But-”

“No buts.” Dan cut in, squeezing Phil’s hands. “You’re coming to mine for a 3-am bowl of cereal, and a movie, and that’s that.”

“Dan…” Phil trailed off, tears now spilling from his eyes again. He didn’t finish his sentence, he only gave a small sniff, and kept his gaze firmly fixed on their still clasped together hands.

“Phil.” Dan said sternly, freeing one of his hands and placing it on Phil’s shoulder so he would look at him. “I’m worried about you, okay? You’re not acting like yourself today, and I want to help you.”

Phil gave another sigh, before giving in. “What cereal do you have?”

Dan smiled brightly at him before he jumped down from the tree and waited for Phil to drop down beside him. Dan grabbed Phil’s hand, and pulled him across the road, and into his kitchen, where he dropped Phil’s hand and grabbed two bowls, pouring Lucky Charms and milk into them.

“What movie do you want to watch?” Dan asked as the two dropped down onto Dan’s bed, bowls in hand.

“I don’t mind.” Phil replied.

“How about The Fault In Our Stars?” Dan asked and Phil pulled a face, deciding a romance movie probably wouldn’t be the best idea.

“No, have you still got my copy of The Avengers?” Phil asked, taking a spoonful of cereal.

“Yeah, I think so.” Dan said as he handed Phil his bowl. and got up to look in his drawer. When he found it, he grabbed his laptop, turned it on, and shoved the disc into the disc slot.  
***  
Half an hour into the movie, their bowls were empty, and Dan’s eyes were drooping, and Phil eventually felt Dan’s hair tickling at his chin, meaning Dan was leaning on his shoulder.

“Hey, Phil?” Dan said quietly, his voice sounding slightly groggy.

“Hm?” Phil responded, still keeping his attention on the laptop in front of them.

“I think I figured out what’s wrong.” Dan said.

“Dan.” Phil groaned, setting Dan and his bowls on Dan’s bedside table, where a small llama plushie sat.

“No, I’m serious.” Dan mumbled, “I think you like me. So, when you saw me and Andrew, you got upset, is that right?”

Phil didn’t say anything, he was frozen to the spot. Dan had worked it out, Dan knew.

“Phil,” Dan said when Phil still hadn’t replied, turning slightly so he could look up at Phil, but still be pressed against him. “It’s true isn’t it? You do like me?”

Phil blinked at him before he finally said, “I’m sorry.”

Dan gave a small laugh, and shook his head. “Don’t be, I’m flattered.”

“Really?” Phil asked, hopefully, and Dan nodded.

“And to tell you the truth, I feel the same way.” Dan said. Phil’s heart soared, and he couldn’t help but lean down and press his lips into Dan’s.

“Feel better now?” Dan asked, as they broke away for air.

Phil laughed and pressed a kiss to Dan’s temple before he replied, “Yeah, I do.”


End file.
